There is grave concern that the sixteen people named above and many others are being tortured in incommunicado detention and may be in danger of imminent execution. Three of them have appeared on television confessing to being American "spies". It is believed that they were tortured into making such "confessions". Spying is punishable by death in Libya. The people named above were detained with many others in the aftermath of a rebellion by army units around the city of Misrata in October 1993. Their whereabouts are unknown. Col. Miftah Qarrum al-Wirfalli is said to suffer from leukaemia, and Lt-Col Daw al-Salihin is reported to have had his leg amputated as a result of injuries sustained during torture.